Sight guide · Big Island (Hawaiʻi) · United States
Visiting Huliheʻe Palace
Built in 1838 as a summer home for Hawaiian royalty, this two-storey palace on Aliʻi Drive is now a museum run by the Daughters of Hawaiʻi, displaying koa wood furniture, royal portraits and artefacts on Kailua Bay.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Calbear22 at English Wikipedia, Public domain
Quick answer
Huliheʻe Palace is a palace in Kailua-Kona, Big Island (Hawaiʻi). Allow 45 minutes; it is low cost. Booking ahead is not usually needed.
Key facts
- Type
- Palace
- Area
- Kailua-Kona
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Book ahead
- Not usually needed
- Good for
- history, architecture and rainy day
- Best months
- May and July–August
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About Huliheʻe Palace
Built in 1838 as a summer home for Hawaiian royalty, this two-storey palace on Aliʻi Drive is now a museum run by the Daughters of Hawaiʻi, displaying koa wood furniture, royal portraits and artefacts on Kailua Bay.
Tip: Look across the road at Mokuʻaikaua Church, Hawaiʻi's oldest Christian church, built of lava stone and coral mortar.
Plan your visit
- Time needed: 45 minutes.
- Cost: Low cost.
- Book ahead: not usually needed; buy on arrival.
- Where: Kailua-Kona, the west side's main town with Aliʻi Drive, snorkel beaches and harbour tours.
Best time to visit Huliheʻe Palace
Huliheʻe Palace is indoors, which makes it a good plan for the wettest months:
- July: 30°C (86°F) highs, about 10 rainy days, busy crowds.
- August: 31°C (88°F) highs, about 10 rainy days, busy crowds.
- May: 29°C (84°F) highs, about 9 rainy days, quiet crowds.
When to visit Big Island (Hawaiʻi) has the full month-by-month picture.
Fit it into your trip
Huliheʻe Palace is not on our short itineraries, so plan it as an extra once you have seen Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and Maunakea.
- No. 18 of the 19 sights in our Big Island (Hawaiʻi) things-to-do list.
- One of the picks in historic sites in Big Island (Hawaiʻi).
Near Huliheʻe Palace
Also in Kailua-Kona, so you can walk between them:
- Manta ray night snorkel — 2–3 hours, expensive
If you like Huliheʻe Palace
- Pacific Tsunami Museum — Hilo, 1 hour
Staying near Huliheʻe Palace
Stay in Kailua-Kona ($$) to walk here: the west side's main town with Aliʻi Drive, snorkel beaches and harbour tours. All areas to stay in Big Island (Hawaiʻi).
Questions travellers ask
+How long do you need at Huliheʻe Palace?
Plan 45 minutes. With Manta ray night snorkel nearby, it fits a half-day in Kailua-Kona.
+Is Huliheʻe Palace free?
No, it is low cost. Tickets are usually available on the day.
+When is the best time to visit Huliheʻe Palace?
May and July–August, the wettest months, when an indoor sight is most welcome. Look across the road at Mokuʻaikaua Church, Hawaiʻi's oldest Christian church, built of lava stone and coral mortar.
+Do I need to book Huliheʻe Palace in advance?
Usually not: you can decide on the day.